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Will Lawmakers Act Like Adults?
No time for petty bickering at the General Assembly this year… right?

Jan 14, 2009

Capitol Impact
Short Memories

Aug 9, 2006

Capitol Impact
Money Talks

Aug 16, 2006

Capitol Impact
Fighting Mad

Aug 23, 2006

Capitol Impact
Practice What You Preach

Aug 30, 2006

Capitol Impact
How Dumb Can You Be?

Sep 6, 2006

Capitol Impact
Working for Georgia?

Sep 13, 2006

A Mean Campaign, Unfortunately

Oct 18, 2006

Like the Good Old Days

Oct 25, 2006

Keeping It Interesting
At this point in the governor’s race, Gov. Sonny Perdue knows how Florida football coach Urban Meyer felt in the waning moments of the Georgia-Florida game.

Nov 1, 2006

Can’t We Do Better?
In looking back at the gubernatorial race, a survey of newspaper endorsements from around the state is revealing.

Nov 15, 2006

Lucky and Good
If you had Sonny Perdue’s luck, you might be rich and powerful, too.

Nov 22, 2006

Solving the Voting Problem
An election system used in Oregon provides a real way out of the vote-counting mess this country has found itself in.

Dec 6, 2006

Is He Running?
Sonny for President? Some speculation on his chances if he were to try it…

Dec 13, 2006

A Quieter, Gentler Zell
Zell Miller paid a visit to Athens early in December, and he didn’t even piss anybody off.

Dec 20, 2006

All the Right Moves
Catching up with the first Republican lieutenant governor in Georgia’s history, Casey Cagle.

Jan 10, 2007

Not So Quiet
A calm, quiet legislative session? Yeah, right.

Jan 17, 2007

Do Something!
Would somebody please carbon-copy the governor on this memo?

Jan 24, 2007

I’ll Drink To That
Listen up, Athens! The Sunday sales bill in the legislature just might have a chance.

Jan 31, 2007

Herding Democrats
As its new chair, will Athens’ own Jane Kidd be able to revive the Democratic Party of Georgia?

Feb 7, 2007

School Daze
Gov. Perdue on education policy: a flip-flop?

Feb 14, 2007

For the Children
The state legislature’s PeachCare conundrum explained.

Feb 21, 2007

Opportunity Lost
Notes on a final irony of the late Congressman Charlie Norwood’s career in politics.

Feb 28, 2007

Needed: Some Leadership
Traffic: not just an Athens problem, and not just an Atlanta problem. Now, it’s the legislature’s problem.

Mar 7, 2007

Will the Sun Yet Shine?
The state Public Service Commission has at last begun a process to bring conversations between utility company lobbyists and commissioners out into the open.

Mar 14, 2007

The Final Argument? Not Quite.
The battle over Georgia’s voter identification law has made it to the state Supreme Court, where none other than former Governor Roy Barnes is in the thick of the fray.

Mar 21, 2007

Over And Over Again
The meaningless repetition of policy initiatives: just another bad habit of the Georgia General Assembly.

Mar 28, 2007

Time for a Cease-Fire
This year’s legislative session has been even more ridiculous than usual. Will the budget bickering ever end?

Apr 4, 2007

Flirting With Disaster
Looking ahead to ’08: How will the Georgia Dems do?

Apr 11, 2007

Does Georgia Matter?
Will Georgia attract more interest from the presidential campaigns this time around?

Apr 18, 2007

It’s Hard To Find Heroes
A take-home thought, concerning state Sen. Jeff Chapman, from the recent battle over Jekyll Island: “Chapman emerged as perhaps the only real hero of this legislative session. He will probably pay a price for doing so.”

Apr 25, 2007

A Most Interesting Race
In the special election to replace the late Charlie Norwood, the issue that makes the race worth looking at is the war in Iraq.

May 2, 2007

Another Nice Mess
The Republican leadership in the Governor's office and the Legislature are proving even worse than the Democrats at producing dysfunctional government.

UPDATE: Mess Mopped Up

May 9, 2007

Put It Down On Paper
Gov. Perdue’s “unveto” joins the ranks of goofy Georgia General Assembly lore.

May 16, 2007

One Happy Family?
Reflections on a dysfunctional family weekend with the state Republican Party.

May 23, 2007

Off the Rails
On commuter rail, highways, and - oh yeah! - government subsidies.

May 30, 2007

Now That’s More Like It
The latest big political surprise out of Atlanta: WSB-TV newsman Dale Cardwell says he’s running for Senate.

Jun 6, 2007

Off the Hook
Along with the derailment of the immigration bill in Washington comes the lifting of a big weight off of Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ shoulders.

Jun 13, 2007

A Sinking Ship
Sonny Perdue’s political career has taken a remarkable downturn in just a year’s time. What happened?

Jun 20, 2007

It’s Still Local
What was it that really mattered in the first round of our congressional election?

Jun 27, 2007

Something to Celebrate
Taking a moment to be thankful for open-government laws, and the politicians who support them.

Jul 4, 2007

The Happy Warrior
The word on long-time Georgia Democrat Wyc Orr, of Gainesville. Can he be drafted for Senate?

Jul 11, 2007

Governor Ignores Grady Crisis
Will the real governor please sign in?

Jul 18, 2007

Hard Lessons to Learn
A few basic political lessons from the Paul Broun upset, including this one: “If Clarke County hadn’t been in that district, Jim Whitehead would be in Congress.”

Jul 25, 2007

The Eternal Optimist
No matter what the reality in Iraq, Georgia's U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss continues to support the war and President Bush.

Aug 1, 2007

Your Safety or Your Taxes?
Worried about bridges since the collapse in Minneapolis? You should be: Georgia politicians already have a bad track record when it comes to bridge maintenance across the state.

Aug 8, 2007

The End of Local Government
Taking a good hard look at Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s tax plan.

Aug 15, 2007

We’re Special
Looking ahead to the 2008 congressional elections in Georgia…

Aug 22, 2007

Let’s Get Real
Is it time to draft Sam Nunn for U.S. Senate?

Aug 29, 2007

Heroes and Villains
Piedmont Circuit DA Tim Madison’s recent indictment looks even worse when you compare him to Floyd “Fuzzy” Hoard, who held the same office and died 40 years ago last month for his good work there.

Sep 5, 2007

Don’t Go Away Mad
The governor and his temper: from last spring’s budget to the upcoming selection of a new Department of Transportation chief.

Sep 12, 2007

Staying the Course
Looking at the politics of the Iraq War in the re-election bid of Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss.

Sep 19, 2007

Against the Odds
Meet Bobby Saxon, an Iraq veteran from Nicholson. He’s a Democrat running for U.S. Congress next year, here in the 10th District.

Sep 26, 2007

In Schools, Bad = Good
At least the Georgia Department of Education is good at something: spinning poor statewide test scores into glowing press releases.

Oct 3, 2007

Is Johnny Marching Home?
Question #1: Is Sen. Johnny Isakson thinking of coming home to run for governor? Question #2: So what’s that going to mean for everybody else?

Oct 10, 2007

The Well Runs Dry
A look at the politics of statewide water planning.

Oct 17, 2007

A New Driver at the DOT
What should expect from the appointment of Gena Abraham as the new woman in charge at the Georgia Department of Transportation?

Oct 24, 2007

Hard Choices, Harder Decisions
The politics of water policy in Georgia…

Oct 31, 2007

Ahead of His Time
Putting in a call to former state Rep. John Carlisle of Griffin, who in 1977 introduced a bill to provide for the installation of water-saving bathroom fixtures in new buildings. (Guess what? It passed!)

Nov 7, 2007

Contrarian State
Expect Georgia to act in the 2008 elections a lot like it did in ’06: directly opposite the rest of the country.

Nov 14, 2007

Doing the Right Things
Taking note of one area in which Georgia’s leaders get things right.

Nov 21, 2007

Collision Course
Two big issues are on a collision course as Georgia approaches its upcoming legislative session: taxes and water.

Nov 28, 2007

Smooth Sailing for Saxby
Sure, Saxby Chambliss is a shoe-in for re-election in ’08 - but shouldn’t we be disappointed that, going into an election year, he has absolutely nothing to worry about?

Dec 5, 2007

They’re Cool to the Idea
A timely report on the climate change denial that’s going on at the Georgia state capitol.

Dec 12, 2007

Holes in the Road
Whatever you do, don’t miss the political meaning of the recent revelations at the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Dec 19, 2007

Time For the Fun to Begin
Dirty tricks, mudslinging and negative campaigning: that stuff's nothing new in America, not by a long shot.

Jan 9, 2008

What Lies Ahead
Just how much will Georgians learn about the state’s political leadership during this legislative session?

Jan 16, 2008

Challenging Times for the Speaker
Just where is House Speaker Glenn Richardson headed?

Jan 30, 2008

Vengeance is Mine
Detailing the contours of another big political loss for Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

Feb 6, 2008

Wrong On Both Counts
What did moving Georgia’s presidential primary up to Feb. 5 accomplish in the end?

Feb 13, 2008

Be Careful What You Desire
Sonny Perdue might want to think twice before entertaining Vice-Presidential aspirations.

Feb 20, 2008

We’ve Seen It Before
Tracing the parallels between this year’s Clinton-Obama campaign and the 2002 race for Georgia governor between Roy Barnes and Sonny Perdue.

Feb 27, 2008

Time To Get Serious
Lots of fun and games - and a little actual progress - in the realm of statewide water policy.

Mar 5, 2008

The Shoe Drops
Closing the book on state House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s tax plan - for now.

Mar 12, 2008

That Was Then…
On the issue of Sunday alcohol sales, just how hypocritical can the governor get?

Mar 19, 2008

The Final Piece of the Puzzle
Saxby Chambliss doesn’t have much to worry about as he runs for re-election to his seat in the U.S. Senate this year.

Mar 26, 2008

Missing in Action
Same old story: Gov. Perdue skips town just when the legislative session gets to crunch time.

Apr 2, 2008

Down the Drain
Notes on the legislative session that was.

Apr 9, 2008

A Dysfunctional Family
What could ever put an end to the squabbling among the state’s political leadership?

Apr 16, 2008

Defenders of Family Values
Notes on the present-day politics of morality in Georgia.

Apr 23, 2008

Now the Fun Begins
What news does qualifying week hold?

Apr 30, 2008

No Change This Year
While there’s talk of a political “change” year at the national level, in Georgia it’s the status quo once again.

May 7, 2008

Opening the Floodgates
What will be the repercussions of Sen. Johnny Isakson’s decision not to run for governor in two years? And what awaits Georgia in 2010?

May 14, 2008

Nervous About November?
Reading the tea leaves - though their import was obvious enough - at the recent Republican state convention.

May 21, 2008

When Does This End?
What lies ahead in the Iraq War, and what role will the war play in the November elections?

May 28, 2008

Needs Improvement
It’s straight F’s for Georgia Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox.

Jun 4, 2008

A Different Time, a Different Place
Stopping for a moment to put the Obama candidacy into context.

Jun 11, 2008

Forever Cooter
Getting back in touch with the actor-turned-politician Ben Jones.

Jun 18, 2008

It Could Be a Race After All
Georgia could actually see a competitive presidential race this year for the first time in a long time.

Jun 25, 2008

Open Fire
What to expect from Georgia lawmakers in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision on gun laws.

Jul 2, 2008

Election Time Again
Some races in the upcoming July 15 primaries may give us an inkling of whether there's any change in the air.

Jul 9, 2008

Can We Get Started Now?
It's possible that the Georgia Department of Transportation can finally get back to the business of building roads and rails.

Jul 16, 2008

Taking Aim at the King
The stage is finally set for a challenge to House speaker Glenn Richardson’s power.

Jul 23, 2008

Who Wins the Senate Runoff?
Tom Crawford digs into the numbers on the Vernon Jones/ Jim Martin contest - but will it make any difference who wins?

Jul 30, 2008

Headed for Trouble
The news on the state budget crisis keeps getting worse.

Aug 6, 2008

The End of a Career? Maybe Not
Don’t count John Edwards out of politics just yet.

Aug 13, 2008

Tough Decisions
A court decision expected this winter may make the present state budget situation look like a walk in the park.

Aug 20, 2008

Saxby Takes a Gamble
Will Saxby Chambliss’ work with the bipartisan “Gang of 10” get him into trouble as the November election approaches?

Aug 27, 2008

Who Sacrifices?
If Gov. Perdue wants homeowners to give up their tax breaks so he can balance the state’s budget, that’s fine - but what about all those huge corporate tax breaks that are putting dents in the treasury?

Sep 3, 2008

Getting Down to Business
Barack Obama’s campaign is working hard to be competitive in Georgia this November. But does he really have a chance here?

Sep 10, 2008

The Long March Begins
Running for governor is now a two-year game at minimum, and the next round is getting underway.

Sep 17, 2008

Perdue Finally Catches a Break
He won’t be VP or a senator any time soon, and the state budget’s a wreck, but things aren’t so bad for Sonny Perdue.

Sep 24, 2008

Where’s Sonny?
Gas shortage? No biggie. Our jet-setting guv had places to be.

Oct 1, 2008

Georgia’s Voters May Surprise Us All
Keeping up with the changing field of play in this remarkable election season.

Oct 8, 2008

We’ve Got a Thriller Brewing Here
Saxby Chambliss was right all along when he said this would be a close one.

Oct 15, 2008

Changing the Face of Elections
Early voting stands to change elections radically - especially in Georgia, where a million people may have voted by the time Election Day rolls around.

Oct 22, 2008

Who Wins, Who Loses on Election Day?
Races to watch across the state as the returns roll in.

Oct 29, 2008

Time for Lawmakers to Get Back to Work
With elections out of the way, you’d think the state’s leaders might set to work on the budget crisis.

Nov 5, 2008

Georgia Voters Go Their Own Way
Georgia remained a red state in the presidential race, but early signs of change are in the air.

Nov 12, 2008

The Law of Unintended Consequences Strikes Again
It’s a guarantee that when the ruling party fiddles with election laws, something will come back to bite them. Here we go again!

Nov 19, 2008

Don’t Mess with the Teachers
Any politicians who want to keep getting elected to public office will make very sure that they listen to the voice of Georgia’s teachers. The events of last week made that crystal clear.

Nov 26, 2008

Oxendine’s Ready to Take the Wheel
Gubernatorial candidate John Oxendine is a regular old blue light special.

Dec 3, 2008

Chambliss Had History on His Side
A quick look at recent Georgia electoral history shows why Saxby had it so easy in the Senate runoff.

Dec 10, 2008

Where’s the Leadership?
What’s been the response of state government to the budget crisis? Not much.

Dec 17, 2008

The Winners and Losers for 2008
A look back at the election year that was.

Dec 24, 2008

Poythress Tests the Waters for 2010
The next race for governor has already begun. What will the Democratic primary slate look like?

Jan 7, 2009

State’s Situation Is Bad and Getting Worse
The recent state jobless numbers should be scaring the daylights out of our political leaders, but some of them seem oblivious to the problem.

Jan 21, 2009

At DOT, Change Is on the Way
A fundamental change in the political structure at the state Department of Transportation may be coming - but would it even solve anything?

Jan 27, 2009

Watch Out for That Tax Bill
What’s the end-game scenario on the state homeowners’ tax relief grants?

Feb 4, 2009

The Bombshell of the Session
Georgia Power Co. is asking state legislators for an awful lot this session, and it just might get what it wants.

Feb 11, 2009

There Are Some Victims of the Free Market
Salmonella, peanut butter and some basic truths about political philosophy.

Feb 18, 2009

An Easy Road Ahead for Isakson
The one thing Johnny lacks, at this point: an actual opponent.

Feb 25, 2009

A Bad Week for Georgians
The unemployment numbers, the Georgia Power bill, the State Transportation Board… what a week.

Mar 4, 2009

Rolling Down a Bumpy Road 
Time is running out, and once again the governor and the Georgia legislature appear headed toward another stalemate on transportation solutions.

Mar 10, 2009

Barnes Sounds More Like a Candidate
But even if he does run, could King Roy reign again one day?

Mar 18, 2009

Where Are the Jobs?
Business tax cuts will create jobs, lawmakers always say. Okay, so where are the jobs?

Mar 25, 2009

Lawmakers' Shot at Redemption
But with Day 40 coming right up, how will the legislative session end?

Apr 1, 2009

Consumers Didn’t Get Much From This Session
Here’s a recap of major General Assembly actions this year. And remember, no legislative session is complete without some immigrant-bashing.

Apr 8, 2009

Perdue Grabs More Power
The restructuring of the DOT will have far-reaching political impacts, and may even mean Georgians will pay high tolls to drive on highways owned by a European conglomerate. You heard it here first.

Apr 15, 2009

Cagle Opens the Door
It’s looking like next year’s race for governor will be one of the craziest, most wide-open campaigns we’ve ever seen.

Apr 22, 2009

A Changing Political Landscape
The state’s political terrain is slowly but inevitably changing because of the demographic shifts that are transforming the electorate.

Apr 29, 2009

The Field Is Nearly Complete
And a new poll shows just how close the race for governor could be.

May 6, 2009

Fighting an Old War Again
Get this: A third of the state’s Republican voters favor secession from the United States, according to a recent poll. What century is it?

May 13, 2009

Thank You, Governor
It’s true: Sonny did something for which we all should be grateful, and he did something right for a change.

May 20, 2009

Goodbye to Some Friends
Notes on three longtime journos retiring this summer from careers covering Georgia politics.

May 27, 2009

A Fine Line for Saxby & Johnny
The Sotomayor confirmation process will put Georgia’s senators in an awfully tight spot.

Jun 3, 2009

Are Voters Ready for Action?
And is Roy Barnes sincere about the lessons he learned in 2002?

Jun 8, 2009

The Drought Ends but Will Return
The Governor and our legislative leaders did nothing this session to prepare us for droughts to come.

Jun 17, 2009

DOT Looks for the Right Turn
Can Vance Smith, the new commissioner of the state department of transportation, make any difference in an agency now under the governor's thumb?

Jun 24, 2009

State Pinches Pennies…
…and local governments suffer.

Jul 1, 2009

Charter Schools: No Magic Formula
Charter schools are seen by many as the formula for success in education. But are they?

Jul 8, 2009

Early Numbers Show Trends in Governor’s Race
One thing is very clear: the recession has dried up the pool of money available to candidates. So what’s that mean?

Jul 15, 2009

Lake Ruling Could Swamp North Georgia
Georgia’s political prospects for getting congressional permission to use Lake Lanier can be boiled down to this: We’re sunk.

Jul 22, 2009

Water Ruling Will Affect All of Georgia
Metro area efforts to find water elsewhere in the state could result in some of the nastiest political fights Georgia has ever seen.

Jul 29, 2009

The Economy Hurts Both Parties
For example, shouldn’t the Republicans’ corporate tax breaks be keeping Georgia’s unemployment numbers a little lower?

Aug 5, 2009

Chambliss, Isakson Show Priorities
Detailing the story of Saxby, Johnny and those F-22s.

Aug 12, 2009

Time for Optimism Again?
Looking with hope at the slight improvements in the state’s unemployment figures.

Aug 19, 2009

The Health Care Discussion
The tenor of town hall meetings here in Georgia has been an encouraging sign, Crawford reports.

Aug 26, 2009

School Leadership Needs Improvement
Here’s looking at you, Kathy Cox.

Sep 2, 2009

The Political Landscape
Does scandal harm a politician? Does money deliver the votes?

Sep 9, 2009

Football at Georgia State?
The downtown Atlanta school, already a changing place, gets up to speed with Southern tradition in 2010.

Sep 16, 2009

Legislators: Be Careful How You Vote
Politically motivated laws can come back to bite the people who pass them.

Sep 23, 2009

Government Is Bad?
Even those who say government is our enemy sometimes look fervently to it for help.

Sep 30, 2009

Phone Books Finished?
As customers drift to the internet and cell phones, AT&T-BellSouth moves to reduce the number of phone books it prints.

Oct 7, 2009

You’ve Got a Friend at the PSC
Ever wondered about all those “surcharges” on your utility bills? Well…

Oct 14, 2009

Is the Ox in the Ditch?
Is John Oxendine’s early lead among Republicans really as strong as he thinks it is? And with his scandals, will it last?

Oct 21, 2009

Does Anybody Care?
2010 looks like an easy year for congressional incumbents and a boring year for Georgia voters.

Oct 28, 2009

Foxes in the Henhouse
Gov. Perdue has put the polluters' lawyers in charge of regulating pollution.

Nov 4, 2009

Health Care Has Legs
No matter what happens in Congress, you're going to be hearing a lot more about healthcare in the upcoming elections.

Nov 11, 2009

Roy Takes a Risk
Former Governor Roy Barnes is taking a big political risk by endorsing a candidate in the Atlanta mayor's race.

Nov 18, 2009

Ready to Gamble?
Economic hard times may make even the GOP more amenable to horse-race gambling in Georgia.

Dec 2, 2009

The Battle’s Not Over
The speaker is stepping down, but many Republican legislators feel that there’s a lot more cleaning up to do in their House.

Dec 9, 2009

The Battle’s Not Over
The speaker is stepping down, but many Republican legislators feel that there’s a lot more cleaning up to do in their House.

Dec 9, 2009

The Battle’s Not Over
The speaker is stepping down, but many Republican legislators feel that there’s a lot more cleaning up to do in their House.

Dec 9, 2009

The Battle's Not Over
The speaker is stepping down, but many Republican legislators feel that there’s a lot more cleaning up to do in their House.

Dec 8, 2009

The Battle’s Not Over
The speaker is stepping down, but many Republican legislators feel that there’s a lot more cleaning up to do in their House.

Dec 9, 2009

Banks Still Failing
Georgia leads in bank failures, but in the legislature, who cares?

Dec 16, 2009

GOP Wants Scandals Gone
Has change really come at last to the Republicans who control our state government?

Dec 23, 2009

They're Back in Town
The Georgia legislature is back in session Jan. 11 with no money to do anything except haggle over silly stuff.

Jan 6, 2010

Barnes, Ox Lead
Democrat Roy Barnes and Republican John Oxendine have jumped to early leads in raising money for the governor's race.

Jan 12, 2010

Kick the Can
Having exerted no leadership for the last seven years, the governor leaves our state's pressing problems to his successor.

Jan 20, 2010

Gloom Under the Dome
Legislators face cutting an already depleted state budget, with even more cuts coming next year.

Jan 27, 2010

We’re Waving Goodbye to the Future
Years of neglecting rail-building have caught up with us, and we've missed the train.

Feb 3, 2010

Big Changes Ahead for State Government? No.
The governor's big idea is too much too late.

Feb 10, 2010

Lawmakers Should Go Where the Money Is
The legislature could raise a lot of money without increasing taxes if it would just enforce the law.

Feb 17, 2010

How Do Lawmakers Get Out of This Mess?
The governor and the legislature are cutting services to citizens, but they won't close lucrative tax loopholes for corporations.

24 days ago

Pillow Talk
The Porters' mom and pop political races may generate enough coverage to help them win.

17 days ago

Everybody Working for the State Needs to Sacrifice
Cutting the highest paid university officials' salaries would show we're all in this together.

10 days ago